How can there be a possibility of invalidation of Roh Si-hwan's 30.7 billion super-jackpot contract? → 'Only one case'

*This content was translated by AI.

Noh Si-hwan (26) signed an ultra-large, multi-year non-FA (free agent) contract with Hanwha Eagles worth a total of 30.7 billion won for 11 years. However, since there is a possibility that this contract will be invalidated, that is, Roh Si-hwan will enter the Major League Baseball (MLB) stage after the end of this season.

Hanwha officially announced on the morning of the 23rd that it signed a non-FA multi-year contract with Noh Si-hwan, the team's leading hitter, on the 22nd. He then explained, "The terms of the contract are KRW 30.7 billion, including options, in 11 years of the contract period from 2027 to 2037, which is the longest and largest contract in KBO league history in both FA and non-FA multi-year contracts."

Noh Si-hwan started his career as a professional player with the third overall pick in the second round of the 2019 rookie draft. In 2020, in his second year, he stood out with 12 home runs, and although he only had six home runs in 2022, he gained ground by recording 20 home runs for three consecutive years from 2023 to last year.

In particular, he stepped on the 30-homer mark, the symbol of a big shot, twice in 2023 (31 home runs and 101 RBIs) and 2025 (32 home runs and 101 RBIs). Noh Si-hwan is the third Eagles player to have 30 home runs and 100 RBIs twice, following Jang Jong-hoon (1991, 1992) and Willin Rosario (2016 and 2017).

Noh Si-hwan, who hit 124 home runs in his career, is also a big hitter in his 20s representing the KBO League. Currently, only Kang Baek-ho (136 home runs) and Noh Si-hwan are in their 20s with more than 100 personal home runs in the league. In addition, he boasts a stamina who has been on more than 100 games for six consecutive years, including last year's Jeon Kyung-gi business trip, and a defensive ability to keep his position on third base solidly.

In the 2024 season, he suffered a difficult situation, including a lower left shoulder joint and a net injury (July). Nevertheless, he played in 136 games with a batting average of 0.272 (143 hits in 526 at-bats) with 24 home runs and 89 RBIs and an OPS of 0.810. In the 2025 season, Noh Si-hwan then hit a career-high 32 home runs, helping Hanwha make a leap forward. He played in all games (144 games in 539 at-bats) in the 2025 season and posted a batting average of 0.260 (140 hits in 539 at-bats), 28 doubles, two triples, 97 runs in 101 RBIs, 14 steals (failure), a ball with 70 walks and 11 bodies, 125 strikeouts, a slugging percentage of 0.497, an on-base percentage of 0.354, an OPS of 0.851, and a scoring average of 0.290.

In addition, Hanwha added, "We added a clause that allows players to advance to the Major League through posting after the end of the 2026 season, allowing them to induce motivation for players." He stressed, "Overseas expansion is limited to the Major League, but we added contract terms by mutually agreeing to remain a franchise of Hanwha Eagles when returning through posting."

There is one player that comes to mind here. It is Song Sung-moon (San Diego Padres), who played a very active role in the Kiwoom Heroes and entered the Major League ahead of this season.

Until the last 2024 season, not many experts thought his entry into the major leagues would be realized. On top of that, Song Sung-moon signed a jackpot multi-year contract with Kiwoom in August last year. He signed a non-FA multi-year contract with a six-year contract period and a full annual salary of 12 billion won. As if to show, however, he reversed external judgment and entered the U.S. stage that every baseball player dreams of. In December last year, he signed a four-year contract worth $15 million (about 22.2 billion won) with San Diego and succeeded in entering the big league.

Noh Si-hwan in the same third baseman position is in a similar position. Noh Si-hwan, who is in his eighth year as a professional, will complete seven seasons if he finishes this season, allowing him to try to advance to the big league with the permission of his original team. If Noh Si-hwan performs best this season, he will inevitably receive the attention of Major League scouts. Like Song Sung-moon, Noh Si-hwan also has no law against entering the Major League.

Noh Si-hwan himself has not lost his dream of entering the Major League. After the contract, Noh Si-hwan said about the "major league posting clause" through the club, "I think it's my dream for any player to play on the best stage in the world, but thankfully, the club allowed me to put in such a contract clause. I really appreciate it. When I became the best player in Korea, I wanted to try it once, so I signed it like that," he explained. He showed his honest greed.

In addition, Noh Si-hwan said after signing the contract, "From the beginning, I only thought of the Hanwha Eagles, and I never thought of going to another team. That's why it felt really good to be able to sign a contract and I feel a greater sense of responsibility. I also have younger brothers and seniors, and I think I should do better in the middle and work harder to make Hanwha Eagles a stronger team," he said.

Noh Si-hwan then said, "The responsibility feels really great, and I think the childhood has passed now. "I think we should lead more mature and more juniors so that the Hanwha Eagles can be a strong team every year," he said to Hanwha fans, adding, "I'm so excited and happy to see such fans for 11 more years." Now, the fans don't have to say, "Don't go anywhere."

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*This content was translated by AI.